Back for Good
by scoob2222
Summary: Matt goes to visit his wife. Audrey waits. MattAdurey with a shot of MattJanice


She really hates that he's not there. But more than that she hates that she hates it.

Hates that he's been in L.A. for three days and she feels like she's missing an arm. Every time someone makes a joke or she sees something suspicious for the last three days she's turned to share it with Matt only to remember that he wasn't there.

He was in L.A.

Visiting his wife.

His wife who he loved more than anything. The wife that he forgave after she cheated on him.

The wife that he had left three months ago to move here. When they had both decided to take time to decide what they both wanted for their future.

So maybe they were ending it…or maybe Matt and his wife were reconciling. She had no idea. All she could do was wait.

&&&&&&

On the other side of the country Matt Parkman was sitting in the house he and his wife had shared for years and feeling like a complete stranger.

She's re-done every room in the house. Every single piece of furniture had been moved or replaced.

Maybe it was her subtle way of moving him out.

"I thought a change would be good," she said as she came in with coffee and saw him studying the new coffee table, "You know a fresh start for both of us."

'That's good," he agreed, "I'm just wondering if you were envisioning us making a fresh start together."

She stops stirring her coffee and sat next to him, "Matt, I've been doing a lot of thinking the last three months and I realized I hate being without you. I mean I know that lots of things went wrong between us. I cheated on you, which was unforgivable, but you forgave me. And then you….well you had all that going on," she waves toward his head as if to explain away his powers and the near apocalypse he had helped to stop in the last year, "but we got through it and I want us to try again."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. So you can come home now, right?"

"Janice," he shook his head, "I told you before. I can't come home right now. I don't know when I'll be able to come home."

Her face dropped, "Then why did you even come back here. I thought you wanted…."

"Janice, if you want to make this work than you'd have to come with me. I wish there was another way, but…"

"I'm not doing that Matt. I'm not moving cross-country to live with a bunch of…" she cuts herself off.

Matt hears it though because the word sounds in his head over and over, like an echo. i Freaks. /i 

Deep down his wife thinks he's a freak. Thinks the people he know calls family are freaks too.

"This isn't going to work Janice. I'm sorry."

"No Matt, I'm sorry. This is just a little new, but I can get used to it. Maybe we could live in New York sometimes or…"

"Its not just that. I mean, that's a big part of it. Not the moving, but, you just, you don't get why I'm doing this Janice. And I don't think you ever will. I'm not blaming you. Finding out your husband can read minds and that he's joined a group of people who all have similar abilities must be….well I don't know how it is for you, but it was hard for me so I assume its hard for you too."

"It is, but, Matt, I love you."

He moves over to her, his hands cupping her face as he leans in to kiss her softly, "And I love you, but I need to be who I am Janice. And who I am now, who I'm becoming, it's not the man you want. And even if that changes, there are other reasons why this won't work."

Her forehead crinkles and he hears her confusion as she looks up to meet his eyes. Her own narrow he hears her think a name. i Audrey. /i 

"I'm sorry," he responds to her unspoken question, "I didn't mean for it to happen, but…."

"It just did," she finishes. "You know, I'm kind of glad. I mean, at least I know that she'll take care of you."

He smiles, "I do love you Janice."

"I love you too Matt," they stand together motionless as he holds his wife for the last time.

&&&&&&

She's not waiting for him. She just happens to be in the living room from the time his plane is scheduled to land until the moment he walks in the door two hours later.

"You're back," she says as she grabs a bag from him and sets it down.

"I'm back," he repeats and she briefly considers asking him for how long but stops herself. Of course he probably heard that.

She's surprised when he pulls her into a hug, not because he's never hugged her but because of the way his arms squeeze her body so tight to him. She thinks she feels his lips brush over her hair, but that might just be her imagination. She wishes she could be sure. She wishes she could read his damn mind for once.

He pulls back a little so she can see his eyes as he repeats, "I'm back."


End file.
